


By Grace

by orphan_account



Category: Bohemian Rhapsody (Movie 2018) Actor RPF
Genre: Borhap RPF, Friends to Lovers, M/M, One Shot, Unplanned Pregnancy, baby fever, borhap boys
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-11
Updated: 2020-01-11
Packaged: 2021-02-27 11:08:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,340
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22206145
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Ben finds out he's going to be a dad, and things get weird with Joe.
Relationships: Ben Hardy & Joe Mazzello, Ben Hardy/Joe Mazzello, Lucy Boynton/Rami Malek
Comments: 3
Kudos: 31





	By Grace

**Author's Note:**

> Leave Ben Hardy and Joe Mazzello alone to enjoy their bromance. Characters are fictionalizations of real people, and this work is not intended to create any suppositions about their relationships in real life.

“If you chew your lip any more, you’re probably going to need stitches or something,” Joe murmured, breaking a silence that, in Ben’s mind, had lasted nearly a century. The blonde swiped his tongue across his lower lip and tasted the salty, metallic tang of blood; he hadn’t felt his teeth cut through his skin.

“Is that all you’re going to say?” Ben sighed, his voice heavy with defeat. Joe ran a hand through his hair, leaned back against the sofa cushions and stared up at his best friend. 

“I don’t know what else _to_ say, Ben,” Joe admitted, throwing his hands up in discomfiture. “This is…I’m just really surprised, okay?” _Surprised_ was certainly one way of putting it. Joe seemed more shocked than anything else; upset, even. “I thought you and Mel had ended things a while ago.” 

“Jesus Christ, Joe, try _congrats_ , maybe?” Ben cried, exasperated. “I’m going to be a dad, and you’re acting as though I’ve told you I’m a serial killer.” All of the excitement Ben had been holding in all afternoon had dissipated, leaving him with nothing to do but collapse into his leather recliner. 

Of all the people he had been looking forward to sharing his big news with, he had expected – had _hoped_ – that Joe would take it best. After all, Joe loved kids. He had a plethora of nieces and nephews whom he adored, and whenever a member of the cast or crew brought their little ones to his sets, he would scoop them up immediately. Silly voices, faces and noises were one of Joe’s areas of expertise. His less-than-ecstatic response had killed Ben’s excitement instantly. 

“I think I’m just struggling because the situation is so weird,” Joe said, attempting to explain himself without seeming like a complete asshole. He wasn’t succeeding. “If Mel wanted to co-parent the kid with you, that would be one thing, but to just GIVE you a baby? With the expectation that she won’t be involved _at all_?” Joe puffed up his cheeks and shook his head, still in utter disbelief that this was happening. 

“She didn’t want to have an abortion, and it’s her right to make that decision,” Ben reasoned patiently, “but most importantly, I _want_ this baby. I want to be a dad, Joe. I know it sounds crazy, and I know this is all happening so fast, but we’ve talked it over with our lawyers, and it’s all been worked out. If it’s too weird for you that Mel’s up the duff, just think of this like a surrogacy.” 

“I don’t think the guy usually has sex with the surrogate,” Joe pointed out. What he had failed to recognize before making this unnecessary comment was that Ben was at his wit’s end; the realization came too late for Joe to backtrack. 

“You know what? Whatever,” Ben growled, hauling himself out of his chair even though he’d barely been seated for a minute. “I’m going to make this work on my own, no matter what _you_ or _anyone else_ thinks. This is _my kid_ we’re talking about here, and if you don’t like it, Joe, you can piss right off.” With that, Ben stomped off to his bedroom, slamming the door behind him. Frankie, who had been asleep beside Joe on the sofa, opened a cautious eye. 

After half an hour passed and Ben hadn’t returned, Joe threw back the remainder of his room-temperature beer, ordered an Uber, and headed out for the night. There was nothing left to do but give Ben some time. 

* * * * * 

When he woke up the following morning, thankfully in a much better mood than he had been the night previous, Ben saw that there was one new voicemail from 4:30am on his phone. He groggily entered his voicemail password, set the phone on his chest, and tapped the speaker button. When Joe’s voice rang out, Ben was tempted to delete the message without even listening to it; a minute later, he was glad he hadn’t followed that urge. 

“Hey Ben, it’s Joe…which you probably already know because caller of ID. Uhh, I really fucked up last night? I was a complete jackass, and I’m so mad at myself, Ben. I don’t even know what I was thinking.” Joe paused for a moment, and Ben thought he heard a sniffle. “I don’t think I could ever do what you’re doing, Ben. Being a single parent is like, the hardest thing in the world, and you’re going to knock it out of the park. This kid, whoever they turn out to be, is going to love you like crazy, and I know you’ll be an incredible dad. So, again, I’m so sorry for being such an idiot, and for reacting the way I did. Give me a call later, if you want to talk about anything. Love you, man. Bye.” 

Ben exited out of his mailbox and lay completely still, trying to process Joe’s message. He had apologized; that was certainly a start. And from the tone of Joe’s voice, he did sound genuinely happy for Ben. If Ben hadn’t still been so shocked by the response he’d received last night, he would have called back right away. But as his mother had reminded him on many occasions, it was okay to be upset, and it was also okay to need time to process things if you were hurting. 

“Guess I’d better get up,” Ben sighed to himself, staring at the digital clock on his bedside table, which advertised the time as being 6:30am. With a groan of effort, he hauled himself into a seated position, gave himself a moment for his blood pressure to adjust, and swung his legs over the edge of the bed. As soon as his feet hit the floor, he was met with the jangle of dog tags and the clatter of claws against hardwood. A moment later, his beagle, Frankie, was scratching at the bedroom door; he had shut her out when he slammed the bedroom door last night. The door wasn’t even open an inch before Frankie was pressing her nose against it to widen the gap. 

“Hi there, pretty girl,” Ben cooed, bending down with open arms to receive the dog’s morning greetings. “How’s my girl today?” Frankie licked Ben’s fingers and wiggled under his hands in delight at the pets she was receiving. When she had calmed down a bit, Ben was able to convince her to follow him to the kitchen, where he filled her food and water dishes. As she chowed down on kibble, Ben stepped out onto his balcony for a quick smoke. 

It was a cool morning, but the skies were clear, and the forecast on Ben’s phone declared a dearth of rain for at least the next two days. With a cigarette in hand, Ben stood against the railing, looking out at the city around him. The walking path that was visible from his building didn’t look particularly busy, which made his tentative plan to take Frankie out for a run more appealing. Now that he had been in more high-profile films, Ben was finding it more challenging to be out on the town without being recognized and sought after for autographs or photos. That was all well and good when he was in the mood for it, but today, he just wanted to be able to enjoy a workout without being interrupted by starstruck women. 

After one last drag from his cigarette, Ben extinguished it and tossed the butt into the coffee can on the patio floor. Inside, Frankie was waiting for him with her wet little nose pressed against the glass of the door. Once inside, he changed into a pair of sweats and a short-sleeved workout shirt, downed a glass of water, and hooked Frankie up to her leash. His breakfast could wait; it would only give him cramps if he ate before his run. 

As soon as Frankie’s feet hit the pavement, she was ready to go. Ben had to reign her in with the click-button on the leash, not wanting her to take off until they reached the walking path. He had his work cut out for him, though; the morning air was filled with exciting scents that had Frankie tugging against her restraint. The pair wove their way through the neighbourhood until they reached the path, and Ben allowed Frankie to choose which direction they would go. Taking the path north would bring them into a small wooded park area, where there were sure to be plenty of other dogs to sniff. The south leg of the path ran through a quiet residential area. Frankie opted for the park option, likely for the opportunity to run around with other friendly pups; Beagles were social creatures, and easily became lonely. 

As Ben jogged along with Frankie at his side, he thought again about the enormous change that having a child would bring to his life. His career opportunities would be restricted, which he had come to terms with over the last few weeks. All of his plans would revolve around this baby, whether he was meeting up with friends, cooking dinner, or travelling. His financial situation was stable enough to support a child, and there were enough families in his building that he felt comfortable with the idea of remaining in his current flat; those weren’t concerns, at least. The second bedroom could be cleaned out and set up as a nursery without too much of a hassle. 

Ben was well into his 30s now, had no partner (and no real urge to find one), and felt that he could provide a safe and happy home; more than anything else, though, he _wanted_ this child. Ever since Mel had announced her pregnancy to him, he couldn’t help but daydream about being a father – taking his kid to the park, reading books together, tucking them into bed every night. Lucy had often joked about “baby fever”, which Ben had assumed was a girl thing – maternal instinct, or something of the sort – until he started stopping to look at baby clothes or toy cars when he went out to the shops. Over the last month, Ben had finally realized that he’d rather put in the time to build and care for a family than continue working full-time as a film or television actor. 

The only thing Ben felt bad about was how this was affecting Mel. Thankfully, she had commented, she wasn’t an actress or a model, so the affects of pregnancy on her body wouldn’t destroy her career. But still, Mel hadn’t wanted kids, and Ben was well aware of that fact. She and Ben hadn’t been dating, just having a bit of fun when they were off work and both in London at the same time. Just as Ben’s health teacher back in secondary school had warned, their decision to forgo a condom _one_ time was changing everything. 

* * * * * 

Lucy set her hands on Ben’s hips and pushed him forward impatiently, feeling that he was walking _achingly_ slow on purpose. 

“Ben, we’re supposed to be looking at cots, not sofas or dining tables,” she insisted. “Come on now, we have to get this done soon, or else we won’t have time to shop for baby clothes.” Ben groaned and pulled his ball cap down lower over his face. His dark sunglasses made him look ridiculous indoors, but without them, he feared their time in IKEA would be even worse than it had been already. 

“Luce, I can’t believe you made me come to this hellhole,” he complained, glancing over his shoulder at her. “We’ve seen, like, a hundred people who clearly know who we are, and if we actually buy what we’ve come here for, there’ll be photos of us in the tabloids, claiming that I’ve stolen you from Rami, and that we’re having a secret baby together.” Rolling her eyes, Lucy continued to push Ben in the direction the arrows on the concrete floor were pointing. 

“Well then, let’s hurry up before even more people recognize us, and that won’t be an issue,” she huffed. “And hey, you would be lucky to be the father of my secret baby. I’d be a fantastic mother.” Ben stopped in his tracks and turned around to face her. When Lucy had first insisted upon being the one to take Ben shopping, Rami had quietly mentioned that she had lost two pregnancies in the last year, and was having a tough go of things because of it. She continued to soldier on, however, and really wanted to help Ben prepare for the arrival of his son or daughter, which was quickly approaching. 

“Of course you’d be a fantastic mother,” he agreed, pulling her into a tight hug. “And because you’re so fantastic, I need you to be the one to help me pick nursery furniture for my secret baby. Without you, I’d probably get a cardboard box and just use that as a cot.” Lucy stepped back and regarded him with her eyes wide in mock horror. 

“What _was_ Mel thinking when she agreed to let you keep this kid?” she teased, grabbing him by the wrist and tugging him past an angry couple, who were debating whether they should get a dresser with three drawers or four. 

“Probably something along the lines of, “Maybe he’ll finally grow up and start acting like a 34-year-old if he’s forced to,”” Ben smiled, shaking his head as Lucy dragged him along. Eventually, they located the baby section of the enormous warehouse store, and decided on a honey-coloured wooden furniture set, which included a bassinet for beside Ben’s bed, a cot for the nursery, a very comfortable rocking chair, a changing table, and a few other miscellaneous items. Lucy had also tossed some cute décor items into the trolley, all in shades of green to compliment the warm brown paint that Ben had chosen for the room. 

When they had safely navigated through the entire store, they loaded Gwil’s SUV with Ben’s purchases and continued on to a clothing store Lucy promised was “to die for”. Ben sincerely hoped that no one would be _literally_ dying over frilly princess dresses or overalls that looked small enough for a teddy bear, but he had to admit that everything there was pretty cute. 

“You aren’t finding out the baby’s gender, right?” Lucy asked, holding up a tiny tuxedo beside a glittery little pink dress. Ben shook his head. 

“Nope,” he shrugged. “I’m not about the whole ‘blue is for boys, pink is for girls’ thing. We’ll just get whatever you think will be functional and durable. It’ll all get shit and spit-up on it anyways. There’s no use in buying Louis Vuitton trousers, or what have you.” This made Lucy giggle; she and Rami had bought a few gifts for the baby that were definitely more about fashion than functionality, but Ben would have to wait until the baby shower (another secret she had up her sleeve) to find out just how ridiculously happy his friends were for him to become a parent. 

“If you insist, Benny,” she sighed, putting the infant formalwear back on their respective racks. “Onesies it is.” As Lucy pulled items from shelves and tossed them into the plastic basket she was holding, Ben’s phone buzzed in the pocket of his coat. He pulled it out halfway and glanced at the screen, and saw that Mel had sent him a photo. Curious, he opened his messages. As he brought his phone out to have a closer look, Ben felt tears prick at the corners of his eyes. 

“Hey, everything okay?” Lucy asked, her brows knit together with concern. Ben handed her the phone, and as soon as she realized what she was seeing, her lips parted. “Oh, Ben,” she whispered, “He’s beautiful.” Mel had sent along a photo of today’s ultrasound printout, which showed the profile of their baby, curled up with its little hands hiding its face. When she glanced up and met Ben’s eyes, Lucy realized that she was seeing her friend in an entirely different light. “Benny, you’re going to be such a good dad,” she said confidently. 

“Well, whoever this baby is, they’re going to be well-loved by me, and by plenty of other people, too,” Ben smiled, trying to keep his voice even. He had a printout of Mel’s first ultrasound hanging on his fridge door, back from when she was just 12 weeks along. Somehow, it felt so much more _real_ looking at this image; his baby would be out in the real world in a month or so. Ben would hold them in his arms, and feel their delicate skin and soft downy hair. He’d imagined this baby so many times, and yet he knew that nothing in his imagination could ever be as perfect and beautiful as the real thing. 

“Let’s get you home, okay?” Lucy suggested, setting a hand against Ben’s arm. “Rami just texted to say that he and Joe are pretty much done with the painting. Gwil should have the wallpaper up by the time we get there, and then we can all set the furniture up together.” 

“This is really happening, Lu,” Ben said, his green eyes lighting up. “I’m going to be a dad.” 

* * * * * 

Joe’s keys clattered against the hardwood floors of the foyer, and Ben’s eyes snapped open. He had fallen asleep, laid back in the rocking chair with the baby curled up against his bare chest. Grace’s breath was warm and reassuring against his skin; she was such a fragile little thing, only a few days old. A moment later, Joe appeared at the entrance of Grace’s bedroom. He leaned against the doorframe and watched in rapture as Ben rocked his baby back and forth. 

“Do you need a break?” Joe asked softly, bobbing his head in the direction of the bathroom. “I can take her if you want to grab some food. I picked up Thai on my way over, it’s on the kitchen counter.” Ben smiled appreciatively at his friend and nodded, agreeing to pass Grace off for a few minutes. 

“She’ll need to be fed again in—” 

“Half an hour, I know. I saw her bottle in the fridge,” Joe explained. “You just worry about yourself right now, alright? I’ve got Gracie covered.” To Ben’s surprise, Joe yanked his shirt off and let it fall to the floor; his chest was pale and his abdomen soft, lacking the definition Ben had worked so hard to maintain over his career. 

“What are you doing?” Ben whispered, frowning slightly. 

“Skin to skin,” Joe shrugged nonchalantly. “I looked into it after you mentioned it the other day, and apparently it helps newborns stay warm, and sleep, and eat, and stuff.” As Joe approached the rocking chair, Ben carefully cupped the back of Gracie’s head, neck, and bum, and lifted her from his chest. Joe received the sleeping baby, who let out a gentle snort as her father passed her off. For a short time, Ben and Joe were only inches from each other; Ben felt the warmth radiating from Joe’s skin, grazed his hip with his own as he moved to step around him. The blonde’s eyes flickered to Joe’s soft, pink lips and back up to his dark eyes; he was a hair’s breadth from kissing the man as he’d wanted to every day for the past three years. If Joe noticed his transfixion, he gave no indication of it. 

“Thanks, man,” Ben said appreciatively as Joe slipped into the cushioned rocker. He pushed the ache within his heart deeper, where he hoped it would be undetectable. “Can I bring you a drink or something? Turn the light up a bit, maybe?” 

“Nope, I’m all set here,” Joe replied, smiling up at his friend. “You just take your time. I’ve got all week to hang out here with you guys.” As Ben retreated towards the kitchen, Joe swallowed the lump in his throat. Grace shifted against Joe’s chest, her tiny hands fluttering against his skin as they moved reflexively. Her fingernails were sharp, and one left a short scratch just below Joe’s collarbone. The girl could have torn Joe’s chest right open, and he’d have handed her his heart; he had fallen in love with her cherubic little face the moment he set eyes on her in the hospital nursery. 

There were a thousand things Joe wished he could have said to Ben, _done_ for Ben, both before Grace’s birth and in the few days since. He wished he could take back the discomfort and reluctance he’d met Ben’s announcement with; he’d say, “I’ll be beside you every step of the way, Benny,” and fix the mistrust he knew Ben was still harbouring. He should have set aside his cowardice and told him that he loved him, that he wanted to have a family with him. It was all well and good that literally all of their friends knew about Joe’s feelings, but if Ben was clueless, it was all for nothing. 

A faint grunt escaped Grace’s lips as she hovered on the edge of waking, but Joe calmed her by letting a quiet, deep hum rumble within his chest. The sound soothed the baby, and slowed the fluttering of her eyelids. When Joe took a deep breath, he could smell the sweet, caramelly scent that characterized the head and hair of most babies had in their first few months of life. After a while, he lifted a hand and rested on Grace’s lower back, which made it easier for his fingers to gently trace shapes and patterns over her shoulderblades. 

Joe held a deep respect for Ben’s decision to become a father, even if the choice had been thrust upon him at an unexpected time. Joe, too, had experienced a yearning feeling that he was sure would only be satisfied by fatherhood. He loved his nieces and nephews, and had at times felt a pang of jealousy that his siblings had met their life partners when he was still single. Ben hadn’t allowed his own lack of companionship to hold him back, so why was Joe finding it so hard to just reach out and take hold of the opportunity hovering right before his eyes? 

Ben stood in the doorway for nearly a full five minutes before Joe realized he was there, watching and listening as the American rocked and soothed his daughter. By chance, Joe’s gaze flickered up and met Ben’s, eliciting a twitch in the Englishman’s upper lip that Joe took for a smile. 

“I don’t have to give her back yet, do I?” Joe asked, a pained expression overtaking his features. “I’ve only had her for like, 10 minutes.” 

“She should probably eat,” Ben murmured apologetically, holding up the warmed bottle of formula and giving the liquid in it a little swish. “Do you want to feed her? I’ll stay with you.” Ben walked forward and took a seat on the ottoman set up in front of the rocking chair, which Joe’s legs had been resting atop until a moment before. Joe shifted Grace from his chest to the crook of his arm, and with his index finger, touched the skin around her mouth. 

It didn’t take long for the girl’s clear, blue eyes to snap open, and for her to start shifting her head around in search of her meal. Ben passed the bottle to Joe, who brought the nipple down towards Grace’s mouth. She latched onto the rubber and began to suck down the rich milk-like formula, draining the small amount of fluid in a fairly short period of time. Ben pulled a burp cloth from the basket beside the chair, and Joe slowly brought Grace to an upright position. He held her chin and patted her back while Ben cupped the cloth beneath her mouth, preparing for the likely event that she spit up a bit of formula. She released a few small belches before relaxing back into Joe’s warm hands. 

“You’re a natural,” Ben said, grinning. “Maybe you’ll have to get yourself one of these little gals one of these days.” 

“Maybe I will,” Joe challenged, cradling Grace close to his body. The baby released a contented sigh and closed her eyes once more, happy to fall back asleep after eating. Joe watched her until her breathing evened out again, and when he looked back up at Ben, he was surprised to find his friend so close. 

“Sorry,” Ben apologized, meeting Joe’s eyes once again; neither of them backed away. Joe licked his lips as his gaze shifted between Ben’s eyes and his mouth. The blonde’s eyebrows knit together in what was either pain or confusion; it hurt for him to be so close to Joe, yet so far away. 

“Can I stay? Tonight?” Joe whispered, his free hand reaching out to grasp one of Ben’s. “Please?” 

“Why?” Ben asked, his voice deadly quiet. He held Joe’s gaze with such intensity that it was impossible for either to look away. It was now or never; he needed to take his shot. 

“Please,” Ben breathed, leaning forward until his forehead was flush with Joe’s. “Please stay.” Who moved first, neither knew, but when their lips met for the first time, both became immediately aware that _this_ was part of what they had been missing all their lives. Grace, of course, was the other part, but she already had them both wrapped around her finger. 

When they broke apart, gasping for breath, Ben’s eyes were wide with shock, and Joe was smiling in a way he hadn’t for years. 

“I’ve been so stupid,” Ben said in disbelief. “All this time?” 

“Forever, Benny,” Joe smirked. “Literally forever.” 

“Well shit,” Ben shook his head, “if I’d known that all it would take for you to fall in love with me was a baby, I would have had Grace a long time ago.”

**Author's Note:**

> Q: Do I really edit anything anymore? 
> 
> A: No, this is just me puking up words onto the Internet between paper due dates.


End file.
